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Double decker VW camper sits atop art deco-inspired ‘Magic Bus’

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Created for a private club in San Francisco

By Megan Barber
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All photos by Stephanie Carlson and courtesy of Randy Grubb

We’ve reported on a lot of interesting campers and RVs over the years, from over-the-top concept motorhomes to custom camper vans with cozy home-like interiors. But one of our favorite types of RVs is the vintage camper. Love campers and trailers? Come join our community group.

Campers like the midcentury-inspired Holiday House Geographic highlight vintage style at its finest: classic, refined, and functional. The latest over-the-top home on wheels to cross our desk, however, showcases the brilliant talents of automotive artist Randy Grubb. Famous for designing and building vehicles like Jay Leno’s tank car and based in Oregon, Grubb’s latest project is a 1960s Haight-Ashury inspired bus.

Built on a 1973 GMC motorhome chassis and powered by a 455-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V-8 engine, the jaw-dropping creation mashes a milk truck (a 1947 Divco) with one of the world’s most iconic campers: A 23-window Volkswagen Kombi van. Grubb’s design is a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s when VW lowers would weld Kombi vans onto things like school buses to create two-story roving digs. He chose the milk truck because of its curved, art-deco style front, and had to widen the truck by eight inches in order to make everything fit.

As the star of the show, the VW van sits on top of a hand-formed aluminum frame with an extra large sunroof and working headlights. The exterior features a sea-green, silver, and navy blue color scheme, with a lime-yellow accent color.

Inside, the lower level boasts teal and warm caramel colors with seating for a dozen people and a vintage Coca-Cola cooker to provide refreshments. To get to the upper deck, Grubb installed a one-person elevator that uses hidden cables and a winch—watch the video below to see it in action. Upstairs, a lounge area foregoes seating for pillows, plenty of light, and a carpeted floor.

Grubb created the Magic Bus for The Battery, a private members club in San Francisco. The club plans to use the double-decker vehicle to transport members to events and private tours of Sonoma and Napa. For more, see the video below.

The automotive artwork fuses a VW Kombi bus and an art-deco milk truck.
The swooping lines boast plenty of style.
The lower level can seat 12 people and includes a vintage cooler.
A one-person elevator takes you to the loft.
Upstairs, pillows and comfy carpet create a lounge.

Check out the video tour, here:

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